Monday, December 24, 2012

Quite
literally an oasis in the desert the renowned Two Bunch Palms has a fabulously
interesting history. Located on the geological
fault at Miracle Hill with its life-sustaining artesian
mineral well, it was inhabited by First Peoples for thousands of years, prior
to the building of a get-away retreat for the notorious Al Capone.

Enticed by the magical allure of the
mineral waters, natural beauty and the therapeutic relaxation, many guests including celebrities needing a
much needed escape have come to make
their spiritual mark on Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa.

Fondly called two Bunch, it is
located in Desert Hot Springs, California and is nestled in a unique location
that is sacred because of the natural elements. Home to one of the hottest artesian mineral
wells in the country, it is quiet (whisper only) and respectful atmosphere, offers
renowned treatments in its very humble Spa facility dedicated to contemplation
and rejuvenation. You can also expect gourmet
dining, yoga meditation, various water activities including watsu, qi gong, mud
baths and of course the Grotto where you can just float about in the healing
waters.

Whisper Only Policy @ Two Bunch

Dr. Augustus Broue,
a native of Australia and master metallurgist, chemist, geologist and
physicist, visited Desert Hot Springs in 1938. Dr. Broue had spent many years
traveling around the world analyzing naturally occurring curative waters. The
following statement was made by Dr. Broue after analyzing the waters found
beneath Desert Hot Springs:

"I
made an investigation of the waters found in Desert Hot Springs, also the soil
and geological formations. From the analysis of these waters, I have not found
the like of them in any country I have explored…. It would appear to have
qualities far superior to any waters known to me. Under proper directions,
Desert Hot Springs could become a very important health center."

Situated on 56 acres you are
invited to take hikes, borrow a bike and go for a ride, or walk the many trails
and photograph the various wildlife, fragrant plants and majestic mountain
views. The property also supports several tennis courts, an outdoor pool, barbecue area, dry sauna and tee time at
several local golf courses.

What they have to say about the healing waters...

From the cradle of time deep
within the Coachella Valley, nature created one of the hottest mineral wells in
the world. These famed waters of health emerge from the Earth at 148 degrees
Fahrenheit and descend from the geological fault at Miracle Hill to the mineral
springs and resort of Two Bunch Palms. It is here at our world-renowned resort
that the mineral waters cascade into a temperature-controlled grotto with two
pool areas carved from stone. The smaller pool maintains a temperature of 104
degrees while the larger pool is a steady and constant 99 degrees. We are proud
to have one of the few mineral pools with no sulfurous odor, simply a woodsy
scent that is reminiscent of a long-lost era. A canopy of trees filters the
desert sun during the day but allows for the shimmer of moonlight and sparkle
of stars to shine on the waters of The Grotto. Whether shared as a romantic
indulgence or solitary pleasure, The Grotto at midnight is a heavenly delight.

The main Spa is located in a
very humble building and offers more than 50 unique and soothing treatments to
select from. All the therapists are
highly qualified some being at Two Bunch for over 25 years. There are also several outdoor treatment
gazebos to river rock alcoves, outdoor showers, mud cabanas and newly renovated
facial rooms.

Two Bunch Palms also welcomes day guests
and I opted for their fabulous World
Away Spa Day package, available from Sunday to Friday for $165.00 per
person and Saturdays for $185.00 (retail value $215.00). This amazing package includes one 60 minute
Spa Treatment (choose from 12 different treatments.) with Day Spa Fee waived,
15% gratuity for spa treatment, $15 credit for lunch in the Casino Restaurant
and unlimited soaking in the "Grotto". I opted for the Mud Bath/Poultice and added a
personalized facial for an additional $99.00.

After a day at Two Bunch not only
was I relaxed and rejuvenated, but I felt detoxed, and oddly thinner!

I would like to extend a very special thank you to Ana Davis who took care of me with such grace and style.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Just minutes from the historic Hearst Castle where my sister and I spent
the day, nestled along one of my favourite
coastal drives is the Morgan at San Simeon. A lovely boutique-stylehotel with a warmth and personality all its
own.

Serving as a midpoint between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Morgan at
San Simeon is convenient not only when visiting Hearst Castle, but all the wineries in Paso
Robles. Named after renowned architect
Julia Morgan, who in 1919 designed Hearst Castle.

American architect
Julia Morgan designed over 700 buildings in the state of California, 100 in
Hawaii and multiple buildings for institutions serving women and girls.

Born in
San Francisco and raised in Oakland, Morgan was one of the first woman to graduate
from University of California Berkley with a degree in civil engineering.
Morgan worked on several buildings on the Berkeley campus, including the
decorative elements for the Hearst Mining Building and the Hearst Greek
Theater. She is the first woman to receive a certificate in architecture from
Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

In 1904, Miss Morgan opened her own
architectural firm and quickly established herself as a fine residential
architect. Within no time she secured a number of commissions in the Piedmont,
Claremont and Berkeley neighborhoods.

Julia Morgan is perhaps best known as the mastermind
behind Hearst Castle,
also known as La Cuesta Encantada, which overlooks the San Simeon harbor.
She was handpicked by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearts for this
particular project, which proved to be her largest and most complex. As
impressive today as the day it opened, Hearst Castle is now a National Historic
Landmark and the pinnacle of Julia Morgan's genius.

Other notable
projects by Julia Morgan include: the rebuilding of the Fairmont Hotel after
the 1906 earthquake, the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove,
California, and a series of YMCA buildings throughout California, Hawaii and
Utah. Julia Morgan retired in the early 1950's and led a quiet life until her
passing in 1957.

History of Hearst Castle...

In 1865, George Hearst, a wealthy miner, purchased
40,000-acres of California ranchland that included the Mexican Ranchos of
Piedras Blancas, San Simeon and Santa Rosa.

Hearst and Morgan’s collaboration
was destined to become one of the world’s greatest attractions and showplaces.
As they were planning and constructing his dream home in the Central Coast of
California, Hearst renamed the rocky perch from which it rose “La Cuesta
Encantada” – The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, Hearst and Morgan had created an
estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways.

The estate’s magnificent main house,
“Casa Grande,” and three guest houses are of Mediterranean Revival style, while
the imposing towers of Casa Grande were inspired by a Spanish cathedral. The
blending of the architectural style with the surrounding land, and Hearst’s
superb European and Mediterranean art collection, was so seamless that
world-renowned architectural historian, Lord John Julius Norwich, was moved to
say that “Hearst Castle is a palace in every sense of the word.”

It was an
marvellous day which I wrapped up with the Morgan's Hot Stone Massage.

The RMT who took great care of me was Cindy Noble, a skilled practitioner who moved to San
Simeon from LA to enjoy a more quiet and less frantic lifestyle. Cindy works as an animal rescue worker, and
attends to Spa appointments primarily in the evenings.

If you are planning a visit, make sure to ask
to have Cindy for your evening massage and check out their relaxing Morgan Massage Treat which includes:

One night stay in
your choice of room

Two 60-minute
"The Morgan" signature massages

One bottle of red
or white wine from Harmony Cellars, local favorites!

Two souvenir logoed
wine glasses

Free continental
breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi

The Morgan is by no means a full Spa, it is one
room offering both traditional and modern massage therapies
designed to eliminate tension and energize: warm stone therapy, relaxing and deep tissue
massages, facial massages, hand and foot massages or reflexology. They also offer a couples massage, all to
revitalize both body and mind.

What I
liked is their 30-minute enhancement
to any service, offered for $45.

If I had known just how skilled Cindy was, I would have added on several
other treatments!

Always willing to try something new and wanting to
remove some unwanted facial hair, I did my research and decided to have my face
threaded.

Threading is a centuries-old technique with origins
in the Middle East and South Asia.

It is
a treatment which uses cotton thread to remove hair.

The threader twists a
thread into a loop and rolls it against the skin, removing the hair. The loop
acts like a tiny lasso, plucking the hair from the follicle. Unlike tweezing, where single hairs are pulled
out one at a time, threading can remove short lines of hair at lightning speed.

The threader I went to,
a very experienced Esthetician said the
first minute or so can be uncomfortable, then you get used to it, while others
experience no discomfort at all. For me,
just like waxing I found the OUCH factor to be 10 of 10 and had to take a few
breaks. After the first half of my face
was done, she closed the door to avoid frightening other clients in the
Spa. Not good for business when you hear
screams coming from a treatment room (LOL). I have always had very sensitive skin, so this
is most likely why the OUCH factor was so intense.

Threading
provides more precise control in shaping eyebrows and is more gentle on the
skin than other methods of removing unwanted facial hair. It is also gaining popularity in the West
for many reasons. It is relatively inexpensive, it is very quick and extremely
sanitary, it lasts for up to 6 weeks, leaves your face feeling and looking
great, and generally
over time, can cause the hair follicle to become damaged, and stop hair growth.

Threading is
an art form and you need to seek out an experienced practitioner. And there is
that Ouch Factor. However there are
several different ways to relax the hair follicle when threading by using warm
compresses, or a numbing spray prior to treatment. It is also important to clean the face with rubbing
alcohol to avoid symptoms like razor burn and apply a good moisturising cream
afterwards.

Depending on
the Spa or salon you can generally expect to pay (not including a 15% to 20%
gratuity) around $12 to $50 for eyebrows; Upper Lip $6 to $20; Full Face $35 to
$60; and the Chin between $6 and $15.

Spa Girls Blog

I created the SPA GIRL blog in 2009 because I wanted to share my spa experiences.
I am a big fan of aromatherapy,
thalassotherapy, spa cuisine and history.
I love to pamper myself, inside and out! And why not? I work hard, travel a lot and find the spa experience exciting each and every time.
Since the beginning of history, people have resorted to springs, baths, and spas for the therapeutic effects and power of their healing waters. Today the Spa experience has expanded to include so many ways to live a happy, healthy, holistic lifestyle.
Relax, rejuvenate, and restore: that’s Spa Girl's motto.
Spa Girl covers a number of my interests including: aromatherapy, home spa treatments, spa modalities, feel good tips, spa destinations, natural products and spa foods.
Spa Girl is also on facebook where in addition to my blogs I post links to other spa writers, spa reviews and tips.
I have studied aromatherapy for a number of years and create my own salt scrubs, bath oils, soaps and skin creams.
I am an avid researcher and love to research all aspects of the spa industry, study and of course try every spa experience there is.
My other passion is art museums.